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Comment by clucas | Hacker News Reader

Forest Park (my home for less than a year now) voted to prohibit video gambling in November, two years after it had been voted in. I'm not sure what the impact has been, but perhaps it could serve as a model for other municipalities looking to do the same thing.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-met-vk...

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Welcome to the neighborhood. It's unlawful in neighboring Oak Park as well, but unfortunately fully legal in Berwyn.

Berwyn and Cicero have always been the spots to do sketchy stuff. It would be strange if that were to change now.

BERR-WYN!

Is that a 90s Chicago talk radio reference? (I think it is?)

Svengoolie, if I remember right.

Oh, wow, I had no idea. Glad I asked.

Also known as Son of Svengoolie. The original Svengoolie retired in the 70s. I don't recall BERWIN being a bit back then (though that was terribly long ago).

I suspect, though I have no proof, that he at least partially inspired the Joe Flaherty SCTV character Count Floyd/Floyd Robinson.

Actually, Rick Koz is the original and current Son of Svengoolie character. He's been on two or three different stations since the 70's I think, but it's the same guy.

Jerry Bishop played the character in its original run. Way up on channel 32. Wiki says 1970-1973.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_G._Bishop

Jerry Bishop (the original Svengoolie) started the BERWYN gag.

Out where I'm at in Campton Hills we're seeing business owners asking for the ban to be lifted. I hope it isn't:

https://www.kcchronicle.com/2019/01/11/campton-hills-residen...

I can imagine they are. The owner of a reasonably busy restaurant/bar in my hometown said he makes more on the little slot corner per month than he does selling food. It's insane. And you know it's not the people with loads of money laying around losing their money to them.

The owner of a reasonably busy restaurant/bar in my hometown said he makes more on the little slot corner per month than he does selling food.

That's the reason that every† bar, gas station, even supermarket in Nevada has a slot parlor.

I see these people playing slot machines at Albertson's and just shake my head.

† Except Boulder City, the one place in Nevada where gambling is illegal.

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